Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Gu Mingyue led Taozhi into the guest room.

The two stood inside and looked around.

There were two not-too-wide wooden beds inside the room.

The straw mat smelled musty and musty, and a thin quilt was placed on the bed.

Taozhi, clutching her bundle, frowned and muttered, "Miss, the conditions here... are a bit harsh."

Gu Mingyue nodded.

"A lonely city outside the Great Wall, it's already a feat to have survived all this time, what more could it possibly want?"

Two knocks sounded at the door.

It's Yi Wu.

"Miss, the Second Master requests that you come over for a chat later."

Gu Mingyue hummed in agreement, thinking that Xiao Ye must have some new ideas about the Great Qi.

The sun sets late outside the pass.

The sky was a blinding orange-red, as if splashed with blood.

In just a few breaths, the afterglow was completely swallowed up by the thick, deep blue night.

A night breeze began to rise, carrying the unique sandy feel of the northern frontier.

Looking out the window, one can vaguely see the outline of the city wall in the distance, with the occasional flickering of torchlight in the cold wind—that's the night watchman patrolling the city gate.

After resting for a while, Gu Mingyue went to her brother's bedroom.

"Brother," Gu Mingyue stood at the doorway, peeking inside, "Is Second Master looking for me?"

"Okay, come in quickly."

Gu Mingli turned to the side, let his sister in, and then quickly closed and bolted the door.

Inside the room, only a single, cheap candle, about the thickness of a little finger, was lit, casting a dim, flickering light.

Xiao Ye sat imposingly at the round table, a piece of paper spread out in front of him.

That was a map of Lungmen City drawn by the secret agents of the Censorate in just a few hours this afternoon.

Hearing Gu Mingyue's footsteps enter, he did not look up, his gaze remaining fixed on the map.

"Come and sit down."

Gu Mingyue followed his instructions and sat down on the round stool by the table, while Gu Mingli pulled out the stool opposite him and sat down.

Neither the brother nor sister spoke, waiting for the client to speak.

Xiao Ye raised his head and looked at the brother and sister. Without any preamble, he directly revealed his trump card for the night.

"Many people from the Great Qi are hidden in this Longmen City."

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Upon hearing this, Gu Mingli and Gu Mingyue both held their breath, their backs tensed instantly, and they quickly exchanged a glance.

This is an absolutely shocking revelation!

A city full of orphans of the Great Qi Dynasty? What's this called? This is a gathering place for the former dynasty!

and many more!

Gu Mingli's mind raced.

Xiao Ye summoned them in the middle of the night and revealed this state secret...

Could it be that they're planning to use them as a cover to secretly arrest and execute everyone in the city?!

If that's the case, it's practically a one-sided massacre.

Zhong Yi's iron cavalry army was already waiting in front of the city gate like an iron barrel.

Neither the blacksmiths nor the wine sellers in this city can escape it.

Xiao Ye didn't miss a single one of the fascinating changes in the siblings' expressions.

Without changing his expression, he picked up the chipped rough porcelain teacup, calmly took a sip of tea, and then slowly continued speaking.

"The capable ministers and craftsmen of the Great Qi Dynasty were all talented individuals with real skills."

"Most of them came from humble backgrounds and were not favored by aristocratic families. As a result, they were entrusted with important positions by Emperor Guangxian and were even given many national secrets and skills."

At this point, he glanced at Gu Mingli with a half-smile, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing.

"Although they don't have the 'frequently amazing' talent of Akari, there are many of them, and each of them has their own strengths."

Gu Mingli: "..."

I've been subtly insulted!

What does "often amazing" mean?

After the joke, Xiao Ye's expression turned cold again.

"Most importantly, they were driven to their doom by the former rulers and powerful clans of the Great Yong Dynasty. Therefore, they harbor deep-seated hostility."

"If such a group of capable and resentful people are scattered among the people like loose sand, they are very easy to be misled and used by those with ulterior motives, and become a rebellious force that endangers the foundation of the country."

Gu Mingyue keenly grasped the deeper meaning in Xiao Ye's words.

So whether he is a "remnant" or a "talented individual" is entirely up to Xiao Ye.

She leaned forward slightly and asked pointedly:

"What are your thoughts, Second Master?"

"In my opinion, these people are actually quite useful."

"right!"

Gu Mingli agreed with his sister's statement.

"They hate the late emperor and the powerful clans. They probably don't have much hatred for the new emperor, otherwise they would have rebelled long ago."

Xiao Ye did not immediately express his opinion. He ran his fingertips along the rough edge of the teacup and took another sip of tea.

"The wife of Manager Tao today is named Zhou Hui. According to our spies, her father was once a top craftsman in the Ministry of Works of the Great Qi Dynasty."

"Back then, her father was in charge of brewing imperial wine in the palace according to the ancient recipe left by Emperor Guangxian."

"On the night of the palace coup, he and his family managed to escape the capital and evade pursuit all the way."

"The brewing technique of 'Sanliangye' that you all yearn for is a top secret that her father brought out from the palace of the Great Qi Dynasty."

Gu Mingli, engrossed in the conversation, couldn't help but interrupt.

"Since she escaped, what's with that piercing 'crime' brand on her wrist? Was she captured and taken back?"

Xiao Ye nodded, his expression becoming more serious.

"That's right. Her whole family was indeed captured once by the Da Yong search team later."

"Her father failed to escape the camp in Jiangzhou that specifically detained people from the Qi state, and died there."

"Zhou Hui was released without permission by the General of the Cavalry who was in charge of guarding the detention camp at the time."

Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingli exchanged another glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes.

"General of the Cavalry? A general of the Great Yong?"

Gu Mingyue frowned slightly.

"The general's duty was to guard the most dangerous criminals of the Great Qi, yet he released all the imprisoned Great Qi people? Why is that?"

A complex emotion flickered in Xiao Ye's eyes as he slowly shook his head.

"The Control Yuan has not yet found out what happened in Jiangzhou back then."

"Therefore, if you want to know what happened back then, you can only ask the group of Daqi people who were released at the time."

The room fell silent.

The oil lamp flame flickered, and the three people at the table exchanged glances.

After a while, Xiao Ye carefully folded the map on the table that was covered with markings.

"This Dragon Gate City is full of hidden talents, most of whom call themselves wandering swordsmen."

"Deep down, they do not consider themselves subjects of Dayong, but they have not gone to submit to the Northern Di either."

"I heard that the Hanyuan Alliance, the most powerful force in the martial arts world, is protecting this city."

At this point, Xiao Ye raised his eyes to look at the Gu siblings opposite him.

He revealed his true purpose.

"I want to start from here and begin a grand strategy."